Joan Rivers: 'Don't you dare call me a racist'

I’ve never thought too much about Joan Rivers as an entertainer. I find her commentary about celebs as they walk down the red carpet both catty and annoying; this is not so much a personal attack, I’m just not a big fan of the celebrity worship culture in America to begin with. Joan Rivers did something, however, that really made me proud: someone dealt her the race card and she threw it back in his face.

Joan Rivers, Jackie Collins, Andrea Jones and Darcus Howe were all guests of a BBC Radio show hosted by Libby Purves. At some point in the show, the topic turned to race when Collins discussed a character in her book who was mixed race (black mom, white dad). Darcus Howe made a documentary about his strained relationship with his son trying to determine whether racism was to blame or his own shortcomings as a father. I would be inclined to believe the latter.

At this point, Rivers said:

I'm so, so bored of race. I think people should inter-marry. Everybody should be part this, part that and part everything. Race doesn't mean a damn thing. Everybody should just relax, take the best of their cultures and move forward.

Howe was offended by Rivers’ comment and said “Since black offends Joan…”

Rather than let the comment go, Rivers shot back with both barrels:

Wait! Just stop right now. Black does not offend me. How dare you? How dare you say that? 'Black offends me!' You know nothing about me. How dare you... Now please continue, but don't you dare call me that. Son of a bitch.

As Purves tried to regain control of the show, Rivers came back with one more jab directed at Howe: "Now please continue about your stupid film."

I think Joan Rivers represents a lot of the frustration many of us feel when the race card is dealt on an almost daily basis. Somebody had to say it; enough’s enough. Individ has an excellent post about Farrakhan’s so-called “Millions More March” and how its message is harmful to race relations. Individ writes:

I was listening to some of the speeches that were given at the Million More March activities starting earlier in the week. I was horrified. I was also personally insulted. White people were consistently painted with a broad and negative brush. As someone who has fought tirelessly against racism my whole life, I did not like being called a racist. How does it help the cause to alienate white folk who have been fighting on their side for lifetime??

I realize that race is still a problem in America but it is a two-way street. Racism is racism regardless of the race (or political party) of the person making the racist statement. That’s right; Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Luis Farrakhan, Howard Dean, Robert Byrd are all racists. We should follow Joan Rivers’ example (boy, I never thought I would say that) when someone unjustly deals the race card when it is obvious that racism is not intended and say: How dare you!